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Had a couple western (or maybe mountain) bluebirds checking out the house finch house I put up last year. They didn't like it, perhaps because the hole was a bit too large for them.

So I dug up the measurements for bluebirds and grabbed some leftover pallet wood and glued it up to make wide enough boards. Put it together with glue and screws and this time hinged the left side of the house, so I don't have to get a ladder to clean out the house in the spring (I learn from my mistakes). Dug a hole today, planted the post, and put the house up.

Hopefully they'll like it. I probably should have made it a few inches taller, but I didn't have long enough scraps, so it's a little short. It also should be in a more sheltered area, but we don't really have that on our lot. If the bluebirds don't like it, I can always open up the hole a little and let the house finches move in. They should be showing up in a month or two.

I should order some better hinges for next year's bird house while I'm thinking of it…

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Nice use of project excess wood, (no wood is scrap wood), the birds should be very grateful.
 

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Thanks, Tom. I think I spent $4 on the post, and a few bucks on the hinge. But the wood for the house was all leftovers. I've used about half of the wood from the pallets I got last year making jigs or birdhouses or as backing boards when drilling holes. Probably some time this summer I'll have to go relieve the hardware store of another truckload of pallets.
 

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Pallet wood makes some pretty nice projects, this is one of them
 

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nice little home for the feathered ones.maybe you could make a home for the duck so he'll have a place to stay if he ever comes to the sates-lol.
 

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Wish we had blue birds here on the west slope of Washington, but we have to cross the mountains, to eastern Washington.
The bluebird nest boxes are a big thing there. Lots of people contribute, so you'll see them all over. Great cause for the birds. I hear they make a big effect for populations.

Basic stuff but highly beneficial. Nice one, thanks, [for the birds].
 

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They say build it and they will come but that's my luck too, I mostly get different birds than the ones I'm looking for.
Nice job. Dave
 

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Thanks, Dick. And I figure it's already been exposed to the elements once.

Thanks, Pottz. I think he'd need a cave so the vino would be temperature controlled.

Thanks, Jack. We've got a lot of them here, too. I've thought a few times I could probably sell bluebird houses to the neighbors if I wanted to make a few bucks, but I think I'll just keep building one birdhouse every spring, and keep filling up the (3 acre) lot.

We'll see, Dave. The bluebirds started looking to nest last week, which is about two weeks earlier than last year, if I remember right. But I figure I tried. And if it doesn't work this year, maybe some of the birbs will decide it's good next year.
 

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Looks good!
 

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A very nice environmental and conservation imitative there Dave.
I may have to commission your for an O/S activity to replace mine after a neighbor's wife learning to drive wiped out mine!
 

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Thanks Daniel!

Probably didn't have a proper setback from the road, Rob. Birds are notoriously slack about zoning regulations!
 

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Looking good Dave! They are a bit "uppity" about their future digs, don't want to be associated with the riff-raff finches.

We see blues around, but they seem quite shy.



I've built a few bat houses, but slacking on the birds because they seem to have taken over all on their own!
 

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Fine looking bird house Dave.
 

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Last fall, I was standing out on our veranda, looking at something or other, when one of the bluebirds landed on my shoulder. When I looked over and said, "why hello there!" it hopped off, and sat by my feet for a bit. So I'm not sure of our bluebirds are shy or not, Splint.

Thanks, oldrivers!
 

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Bird houses are more complicated than some realize, This is for them.

Hole size, very important , perch or no perch, location, height, direction of opening, if cats, rats or robber birds can get at it. Interior size that certain types of birds like.

The hole size is important if you don't want starlings or those house sparrows. They are too noisy and messy for me. They take up all the housing and eject the nice birds. Is that racist?

Perches allow crows and starlings a place to stand while raiding the nest box.

Just some of the things I've learned over time. A good bird book from the bird people will address those issues if you want a specific species to mainly be attracted. to your spot.

Takes more than a nice box with a hole in it… Just sayin'...
 

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Yeah, Jack. It was interesting watching the bluebirds check out the house finch house Sunday and Monday. They kept sticking their heads into the hole, then backing out and flying away. Never even went into the house. And that's a 2" hole, so only 7/16 bigger than what's recommended for bluebirds.

The house is probably more exposed than is ideal for mountain bluebirds, but we don't have a lot of cover on our lot.

And we have ravens around here. They'll sit on top of the birdhouse, but without a perch, they can't reach in. I like the ravens too, but the little songbirds need more help. The ravens seem fine on their own.

The links I have above to 70birds.com seem pretty good in describing what the various birbs prefer.
 

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Last fall, I was standing out on our veranda, looking at something or other, when one of the bluebirds landed on my shoulder. When I looked over and said, "why hello there!" it hopped off, and sat by my feet for a bit. So I'm not sure of our bluebirds are shy or not, Splint.

Thanks, oldrivers!

- Dave Polaschek
Sounds like "grown up" children, probably wanted money (or in Bird-Land, a nice juicy worm or it will peck a hole in your shop door 8^)
 

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The bluebird houses I see in Eastern Washington are mostly on fence posts out in the open, right along side the road, well those dirt road country roads. Probably less traveled roads, don't really know their prime conditions needed.

Love the Ravens, but they are deadly to nests of all birds.
 

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Great job, and yes it's getting close for the birds to start arriving and looking for nesting boxes. I have heard that the bluebirds like the house racing a certain direction, and that they need to be placed on the edge of an open field. But maybe those western ones aren't that picky.
 

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Nice gesture DP, but what makes "your" birds so different… or do you guys (Americans) have gold lined wall paper in your bird houses?

When I moved into my current house there were about 3 or 4 "good quality bird houses" scattered around the property… and many of my neighbours have/had them… however, not 1 bird house is used by birds… they all prefer the comfort of our roofline…

Most of my neighbours have hired the services of an exterminator… I haven't "sprayed"... yet, however. I had about one trailer's worth of nesting material remover from my roof after one nesting period… and all holes plugged… but those buggers must have tools… cause they're back.

Birds may be cute to look at and listen to, but not when they invade your actual house uninvited.
 

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Thanks, Jack. I'm hopeful that we'll see bluebirds checking it out and moving in tomorrow morning. It was too windy today for any birds to be out house-shopping.

Thanks, Eric! I've heard about direction mattering, but I've also read sources that say "well, make it so you can enjoy it!" And for the "edge of an open field" bit, our whole lot is open field, with all the edges on other people's property, so…

Ducky, I provide them houses "out there" so they don't build in our house.
 
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